Building The North American P-51D Mustang in 1/72 Scale! Airfix Plastic Model Kit Build & Review

[@chrispacer4231]

I missed the PREMIERE !!!! It is a good kit !!!!!! I have ( 2 ) in the stash…….. Bought both of them at a local HOBBY STORE on sale !!!!!! ( dis- continued product ) $2.50 US , a steal !!!!!!!!! MATT, you always do a great job on your Builds / Videos….. I always refer to your Video Library on something I’m building……….. YOU HAVE MY LIKE 👍 CHRIS 🇺🇸

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks very much! $2.50 per kit is an absolute bargain!

[@BobMuir100]

Matt a great piece with some really useful advice! However………your production values have improved so much Matt, you are a pleasure to watch and now amongst the best I have seen. Thanks mate Bob England

[@ModelMinutes]

@@BobMuir100 thanks very much 😊

[@stuff31]

Lovely work! The blue nose was done very cleanly, and the silver paint looks delightful. Great video! :D

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks very much!

[@dennizkucuk835]

quick point here. Since you do a lot of metallic work, I highly recommend you try the Vallejo Metallic series of airbrush paints. they're full acrylic, and don't need to be thinned for use in an airbrush since they already come diluted for airbrush work. (This is NOT the model air range. the metallic range is separate.) Prime with Tamiya gloss black spray can. (or any other easy to apply gloss black spray) Spray vallejo super metallic over top, profit! the result is very similar to alclad super metallics, but without the smell and trouble of using thinners.

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks for the suggestion! I think this year is a little more metallic than other years, purely as I've been buying different metallic paints to try out - perhaps I will look at those products in the future

[@austinschmitz628]

Agreed i would also recomend it!

[@iam_havl33]

Ohhh finally a mustang again 😍

[@ModelMinutes]

I'm sure I will do another one in the future as I have a few different ones in the stash

[@jimbraiden2094]

Nice finish Mat, it's been around for a while, still not a bad kit, done mine as a red tail. Easy to listening Mat.

[@ModelMinutes]

I hand painted the red tails version some years ago - used an enamel paint for that one if I remember correctly

[@jimbraiden2094]

@@ModelMinutes I air brushed with acrylics, I do like the air brush finish.

[@Darrenh84]

Excellent build

[@Steeleater-09]

Love it! So simple, yet so good!

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks!

[@hueyJoe135]

Good evening everyone from a cold fresh Bridlington. I'm at work till 10

[@ModelMinutes]

I hope you manage to get a break to watch the video :)

[@the-primered-thumb]

Nice looking model mate, paint looks ace 😉👌

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks very much!👍

[@wadejustanamerican1201]

Very good build.

[@ModelMinutes]

I'm glad you like it :D

[@andywells397]

Superb matt

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks!

[@diggilad781]

Love the P-51. I did the red tails one a few years ago and thinking of getting another P-51.

[@ModelMinutes]

I hand painted the red tails version some years ago, and have also done the Mustang IV starter set version when that was available a while back. I also did a more custom version of this kit in RNZAF colours a while back too

[@baanibarnes9711]

Watching your unboxing - you jump straight into clipping the parts off and start gluing them together. That used to be pretty much my approach but I noticed that the paint didn't always go down well, sometimes looking greasy or pulling off the surface. It didn't occur to me that there was mould release agent on the parts! I had heard of people washing the sprues first but that seemed odd to me until I noticed the painting problems mentioned. I regularly wash my sprues now as part of my preparation and it makes a huge difference to the application of paint especially if you use acrylic which I do mostly when hand painting smaller parts. I use enamel paint (spirit based) when using an airbrush for larger items, I find it travels better through the airbrush (acrylic dries VERY fast and can quickly inhibit the flow through the airbrush) or I use spray can paint, very good these days giving a flat, fine finish if you know what you're doing! I know you have mentioned washing sprues before, just thought it might be worth bringing this up for the uninitiated. Washing the parts will also stop that upsetting issue of pulling off the paint when you remove your masking tape, oh how I wept!

[@ModelMinutes]

yes, washing sprues is something that I have done on many kits, but don't always bother. I often find a primer is enough to solve this problem

[@willwoods6466]

Working on the exact same kit at present. Thanks for the heads up on the fiddley parts as I'm not there yet.

[@ModelMinutes]

Have fun!

[@hueyJoe135]

Looking good Matt a cracking little model 👌

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks very much!👍

[@NickAndrewsFaulkner]

I bought the latest iteration of this kit and the mouldings, especially the 'to scale' parts are on the way out... Having said that, the kit is still good value for money and builds into a good representation of the Mustang. Nice result on yours, interested to see how the lacquers go down, possibly a little toxic for my set up, so staying with acrylics for the moment. Thanks for another good video, best wishes, Nick

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks! Yes, it is a little tired now but is still fairly good as far as kits go

[@NielsenDK-1]

Well done👍🏼🍻 Cheers

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks 👍

[@neilmcclary]

great job

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks!

[@benmanning4340]

Cheers Matt for this video, now I can't wait to get stuck into my airfix mustang aswell as my hobbyboss 1/48 P51 that I still haven't gotten around to yet! 😂

[@ModelMinutes]

Go for it!

[@chrishumpal3780]

Love the intro Matt. Been trying to chip away at my small 1/72 stuff. The wife says "Build what you have!"

[@ModelMinutes]

I'm always trying to build what I have, and then suddenly new things appear . . .

[@Ralle1968]

Good Job!👍👍👍

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks!

[@willm5032]

Ever thought of using those self adhesive metallic sheets to do an aluminium plane? I built a mustang and did that, quite a cool result!

[@ModelMinutes]

I have thought about foiling a plane, but would need to read up on the technique as I have not done that before

[@Emz_Jhaye]

Nice build! 😍 Love that paint scheme. 😊👍 I also build a P-51 Mustang in 1/72 scale made by Academy... Brush painted it and slight weathered. I miss building small kits during free time... 😁

[@ModelMinutes]

I've got the Academy one in the stash to do at some point . . .

[@robjohnson2821]

Looks great 👍

[@Twoscoopcoop]

Looks great

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks! But how did you manage to watch this video? It’s unlisted and not been posted anywhere

[@Twoscoopcoop]

@@ModelMinutes i found it strange how it had no views it came up in a recommend playlist

[@ModelMinutes]

@@Twoscoopcoop that’s odd, it’s not in any playlists 🤷‍♂️ I guess you got exclusive early access 😂

[@Twoscoopcoop]

@@ModelMinutes ive built this kit multiple times i always had issues where the bottom half of the wing would never quite fit to the fuselage halves without plenty of sanding

[@ModelMinutes]

@@Twoscoopcoop I did find it needed a little sanding but not a great deal

[@austinschmitz628]

Looks good i just finished a eduard mustang myself :)

[@ModelMinutes]

Nice! I’d like to have a go at the Eduard one at some point

[@tbr84kent]

I think I may need to buy another nother Mustang now! Great build, always a great pace and very good steps to follow, keep up the good work !!

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video 🫡

[@sandwitch1613]

Blue nosed bubbletop Mustangs hold a special sentimental value to me, since the very first kit I built for public display was a Tamiya 1:72 P-51D in that beautiful paint scheme. I've been looking for an interesting tooling of the 51 to apply ten years of further modelling experience and expertise to, and I think I might just get the Airfix one.

[@sandwitch1613]

(Not to mention applying my Harder & Steenbeck airbrush to it :D)

[@ModelMinutes]

I hope you enjoy!

[@sandwitch1613]

@@ModelMinutes Well, if I buy it this week, it'll probably slot in to the build queue somewhere around Christmas, but thanks~

[@tail_lamp7538]

Nice work Matt. I wonder how the new tooling Mustang in the starter set compares?

[@ModelMinutes]

It’s a simpler kit but I’m annoyed at the design choice to not have a tail wheel that can be raised without modifying the model

[@michaelf277]

I really like the colorful Mustang and your straightforward approaches to achieve nice results! Do those Microscale products leave any stains when dried up? I have made bad experiences with other Decal softener products which leave stains I wasn't able to remove.

[@ModelMinutes]

I don’t think I’ve ever noticed any leftover residue or marks from the micro set/sol after they dry. I’ve noticed other products that have (like humbrol decalfix) but the microscale ones are really good. It is worth remembering that if you wash your brushes in tap water, or use tap water to soak decals and apply them, any dissolved solids in the water could leave residue. I’m fortunate because I live in an area where our tap water is filtered through granite and no marks are left, but I have used water from chalky areas and that has left some marks when it dries

[@michaelf277]

Thanks Matt for your input! I'm not using our tap water for cleaning the Airbrush (our water contains more lime than actual water 😂) but somehoe I never thought about the decals soaking in lime water...good advice

[@Payne2view]

I've built this tooling a few times. The faulty moulded radio mast has always been a problem. Other than that, it is my favourite P-51D kit.

[@ModelMinutes]

Yes, the aerial is a problem

[@ChristianSchroter-ok4sk]

Hello mr. Minute!splendid build. A one of a kind sweet little gem u have created.nice 2cu unleashing your creative flows.thank u4 delivering fun excitenes and Inspiration and knowledge. I truely appreciate your efforts to create a convincing "little brother"of its own.i am looking enthusiastly to ur future builds.of course ur work deserves a thumb up.and I will give him 2u.i would like to give more than 1thumb up.but I cant.thats a pain in the ass.thank. keep enjoying and keep the faith.with sticky greetings from Brandenburg germany.faithfully yours.your modellmate.christian

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks very much! See you in the next one :)

[@i.setyawan]

I was just about to comment that the kit could use some additional wash when I realised that the panel lines are already quite deep and that you had the same reasoning.

[@ModelMinutes]

Yes, they are a little deeper than other kits and also i find that black gloss coat helps with the shadows as the silver hasn't fully filled the panel lines - I thought the finish was good enough with no further wash needed

[@LondonPredatorAngler]

come out quite nice... im looking forward to getting the NEW Airfix tomahawk that should be coming soon in 1/48, would like to see you do that too, seeing as I know you like making p40's too!

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks! The “new” Tonahawk is just a re-release of the Tomahawk I did a year or so ago, just with different paint schemes

[@LondonPredatorAngler]

@@ModelMinutes yeah I know, i watched u do the mkII tomahawk a year ago and was gutted I missed out on not getting one, so im glad they have brought it back out again... looking forward to seeing what paint scheme they do!

[@BansheeNT-D]

Beautiful work, always enjoy your content! 🧡 Man I wish I could gift you the Kotobukiya ADFX-01 Morgan or the Kotobukiya CFA-44 Nosferatu. But the scalper madness on these kits is crazy. 😐

[@ModelMinutes]

That would be cool! But I probably have enough projects to be working on at the moment lol

[@BansheeNT-D]

@@ModelMinutes I know you have tons of projects :D Maybe someday you find an Ace Combat kit for cheap. Don't forget the Ace Combat community is big. ^^

[@WilberoughTMD]

Hey matt just wanted to say I built an academy tornado recently your video helped alot thanks I have to say the revell tornado is much better

[@ModelMinutes]

I’m glad it helped!

[@baanibarnes9711]

Sorry, another point I just noticed from your very detailed and close-up filming - it is VERY important to scratch off any paint on parts surfaces that you are going to glue! The paint interferes with the glue interaction between surfaces, although it may seem fixed, you may notice bits dropping off or collapsing later when the glue has fully cured and gone brittle (the glue actually melts the plastic so 'welding' the parts together, the paint will interfere with this process).

[@ModelMinutes]

Yes, I know about how paint creates a barrier between the plastic surfaces when bonding them, but I don't always bother with this step as the likelihood of the parts falling off the model before I finish making the video are very low. After I build models they spend some time on my shelf before going into storage and having parts fall off later in time isn't one of my biggest concerns

[@sorvad99]

I've built two of these and they are a nice kit except for that ariel mast, I broke mine both times trying to get it off but apart from that its a nice fitting kit which makes for a good looking model, I did the red tails and the RAF shark mouth

[@ModelMinutes]

Yes, it is a shame that part is so thin!

[@lecastorsubversif5647]

Nice build here ! However, your silver coat lacks consistency and is a bit grainy. I've seen some comments here suggesting to use Vallejo metallic paints, which I think are not so easy to use. I would suggest you the MrHobby Super metallic range which is brilliant, and allow you to easily obtain a smooth surface, at 1.8 bar, 0.2 nozzle and 1:1 to 1:2 dilution in my case... Beforehand, I prime with MrHobby 2 (gloss black) as a wet coat and it dries quickly. Supermetallics are also resilient to microset and enamel washes, but if you need a clear coat, anything that looks like Gauzy or Pliz should do the trick.

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks for the info! I will try and see if I can get some of that mrhobby range

[@benmanning4340]

Hi Matt, I already commented on this video however I have built that Hobbyboss 1/48 P51 which turned out nice. However, I've just this weekend gotten around to the Airfix 1/72 P51 in the red tails scheme. You did previously build one on your channel, 2012 tooling, 2013 boxing. I have found rather unusually, that my red tails mustang has the wrong decals in it, I have the ones in my kit from the build you did in this video "Rose Marie" scheme. I was just interested as to whether or not you've experienced this before from airfix. It was a brand new, unopened kit when I bought it some years ago so I thought this was highly unusual...

[@ModelMinutes]

There was a error with a certain batch of that kit from some years ago, they all had the wrong decals. You could contact Airfix and see if they have any replacements

[@benmanning4340]

​@@ModelMinutesthanks Matt, that explains it. I may well email them and see what response I get. Thanks for your help 👍

[@jeffpeterson6094]

Hi Matt ,I not miss u videos n have u 3 books I in seattle wa.usa think this a big improvement

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks very much!

[@ktos337]

Hello. What Paints did You use?

[@ModelMinutes]

full paint list is displayed on the screen at 01:36 , then subsequently at each step when the paints are used they are either physically shown on screen or an annotation lists the paint type, whilst I also discuss the product i'm using

[@MIMIC953.]

Don’t even have this one in the kit is it worth a pickup in the future? (Also great looking build!)

[@ModelMinutes]

If you can find one cheap enough, its a reasonably quick build to complete

[@markshellard5894]

Airfix is releasing a old 1:24 mustang again in a few months time

[@ModelMinutes]

Yes, part of the vintage range

[@Airbus4lifemitGROG]

I love the P-51 it’s a great plane but if I had the choice between a spitfire and the p-51 I would go for the spitfire I just thinks it’s a majestic beauty but the p-51 just looks pregnant due to the vent along the bottom

[@ModelMinutes]

I quite like the P40 😊

[@CLeo-ku3lk]

the right wing looks a bit dirty

[@ModelMinutes]

it's just a little less silver paint - it looked uniform under the spray booth lights but upon drying it wasn't quite as consistent. I don't mind the look though as it looks a little like variations in the metal

[@CLeo-ku3lk]

@@ModelMinutes yeah in hind sight i think it would be a good base for weathering

[@Titaniclover95]

Fun fact:a P51 once landed on an Aircraft carrier and no P51s landed on an Aircraft carrier since!

[@ModelMinutes]

very cool!

[@Titaniclover95]

@@ModelMinutes I know!

[@julianmautner]

Did it take off aswell? :)

[@Titaniclover95]

@@julianmautner not sure

[@Titaniclover95]

​@@ModelMinutesok it attempted but I'm not quite sure what happened

[@blarrrggg]

painting yellow over black on the propellers bothers me

[@ModelMinutes]

it works if the yellow has enough pigment. The other option is to paint the tips yellow first then mask them before doing the rest of the blades. I have done both methods and I'm not really fussed either way, although adding the tips after painting is a much simpler process with less work

[@unkwnoblivion7943]

Honestly mate in the nicest way possible, slow down!! Decals are all over the place, so much detail which could be easily achieved with 20 minutes extra time (if that) is missed. Its sad to see

[@ModelMinutes]

what do you mean they are all over the place?